‘A global measles crisis’ is well underway, UN agency chiefs warn

16.04.2019 09:07 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
Within this year first 3 months, a 300% surge of the number of measles cases against the last year similar has been registered worldwide, UN Radio says referring to the joint report made by two UN agency chiefs, Henrietta Fore (Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
«Cases have soared across the world, including places where measles had previously been eliminated, like the United States,» they emphasized.
The UN agency chiefs painted «an alarming picture» of the rate of infection, saying that «by the time you finish reading this, we estimate that at least 40 people - most of them children - will be infected by this fast-moving,life-threatening disease».
As to the report, a dangerous trend is developing fast worldwide. Thus, after 2 years of consecutive boost, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Myanmar, Philippines, Sudan, Thailand and Ukraine, are all within the midst of current outbreaks. The disease is also spreading fast among clusters of people who are resisting vaccination within countries with high overall vaccination rates, including the United States, Israel, Thailand and Tunisia.
«We’re worried not only because measles can be so severe, it still causes over 100,000 deaths every year, but also because it is extremely contagious,» the UN agency chiefs admitted.
As to them, to fight the dangerous disease, it is necessary that everyone should advocate for vaccines, including by promoting scientific literacy on health and vaccines.
«It means governments must invest in primary care and immunization, and make sure these services are affordable, accessible and truly responsive to parents’ needs, especially those in the poorest, most disadvantaged communities,» the two chiefs stressed.
«It will take long-term efforts, political commitment and continuous investment, as for vaccine access, as for service quality and as for trust, to ensure we are, and remain, protected together,» the UN agency chiefs admitted.